Published on 10/21/1999, GRAND FORKS HERALD

UND STUDENT NEWSPAPER TO FACE COMPLAINT

FRATERNITY MEMBER SAYS COLUMN OFFENDED GREEKS, WOMEN

A UND fraternity member is filing a complaint with the Dakota Student's publisher about a column that he said was offensive, particularly to women and Greek students.

The column, written by Al Nowatzki and published in Tuesday's student newspaper, offered a number of criticisms of the Greek community.

Student Newspaper Dodges Sanctions For Column Poking Fun At Greeks
by Sherri Richards, University of North Dakota

GRAND FORKS, N.D. (TMS) -- The University of North Dakota's student newspaper, the "Dakota Student," recently made headlines on its own after running an opinion piece highlighting stereotypes tied to greek organizations.

Student columnist Al Nowatzki launched a fury among campus greeks and many alumni when his Oct. 19 column, "Fraternities and Sororities -- They're All Greek To Me," referred to "frat boys" as drunkards constantly looking to "get some action" and compared sorority women to bowling balls.

UND's greek leaders filed a formal complaint with the Student Publications Board, looking for the newspaper to be reprimanded or for student editor Howie Padilla to be fired. They got neither. After listening to about 2 1/2 hours of debate focused on the First Amendment, libel and defamation, the board voted 4-1 on Oct. 27 to dismiss the greeks' complaint.

"I feel the board was afraid to take a stance," said Kent Leier, UND's student senator of greek housing, who argued that the column never would have run had an ethnic minority group's name been inserted in place of "fraternity" or "sorority." "They are sending a message that harassment is OK."

Padilla said that although he regrets printing the bowling-ball joke, he would run the column again. He also said he would not apologize for his actions and that Nowatzki would continue writing for the newspaper.

Nowatzki said he was surprised the column generated so much controversy.

"Honestly, I didn't think it would be like this," he said. "I figured I might ruffle a few feathers, but I never thought it would possibly get my editor fired."

TMS Campus, 1999